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Garry Ridge    

Former CEO of WD-40

Garry has 25 years of experience as Chairman and CEO of WD-40 Company. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego, where he teaches the principles and practices of corporate culture in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program.

Garry’s philosophy on company culture is based on Aristotle’s quote – “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” Turning that into action, he believes that all leaders can create a workplace where you go to work each day, make a contribution to something bigger than yourself, learn something new, feel safe, are protected, and are provided freedom by a set of values and go home happy!

He is passionate about the learning and empowering organizational culture he has helped establish at the WD-40 Company. In 2009, he co-authored a book with Ken Blanchard outlining his effective leadership techniques, titled “Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy Called ‘Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A.” A native of Australia, Mr. Ridge holds a certificate in Modern Retailing and a Master of Science in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego.

Speech Topics


Garry Helps Leaders and Companies Build Engaged, World-Class Cultures.

As part of Garry’s commitment to helping companies of all sizes duplicate his success via workplace culture transformation, he makes a limited number of days out of every year available for keynote speaking engagements. He wraps his inspiring personal stories of his work at WD-40 Company with universally applicable steps and programs that any leader of any company can adapt. Audiences most likely to benefit from his program are already engaged in human capital development and/or they lead organizations that are going through a period of significant change.

Audiences will learn from Garry:

  • The Power of The Learning Moment Culture.
  • The 10 Traits of Leadership.
  • Critical decisions every leader must make before committing to cultural transformation.
  • The six critical characteristics of a highly engaged culture.
  • How to create a tribal workplace culture where employees go to work happy; invest their passion, skills, and energy into a cause larger than themselves; go home happy.
  • The personal journey every CEO takes when implementing organizational cultural transformation.

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